L.A. Drama Critics Circle Announces Awards Recipients

“Come From Away” award wins include production, musical score and musical direction. (Photo by Matthew Murphy)

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle announced the recipients of its 50th annual awards for distinguished achievement in theater Monday at the Pasadena Playhouse.

There were four recipients of the 2018 Production award: Cambodian Rock Band (South Coast Repertory), Come From Away (Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre), Cry It Out (Echo Theater Company), and Sell/Buy/Date (Geffen Playhouse / Los Angeles LGBT Center).

Awards in 17 other categories celebrated a wide range of Los Angeles theater, with 17 different productions taking home honors. Celebration Theatre’s Cabaret took home the most awards for a single production, with six, including a nod for Revival. Antaeus Theatre Company received the most awards, with three of its productions winning a combined seven trophies. In a competitive category, Tom Hanks received a lead actor award for his performance as Falstaff in The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles production of Henry IV.

In addition, the LADCC presented eight previouslAwardounced special awards, including the Ted Schmitt Award for the world premiere of an outstanding new play to Lauren Yee for Cambodian Rock Band, the Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater to Sacred Fools Theater Company, and the inaugural Theater Angel award for distinguished service to Los Angeles theater to Yvonne Bell.

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle was founded in 1969.  It is dedicated to excellence in theatrical criticism, and to the encouragement and improvement of theatre in Greater Los Angeles.

The complete list of award recipients is as follows:

PRODUCTION

Cambodian Rock Band, produced by South Coast Repertory and Honorary Producers Carolyn and Bill Klein and Samuel and Tammy Tang, South Coast Repertory.

Come From Away, produced by Junkyard Dog Productions, Jerry Frankel, Latitude Link, Smith & Brant Theatricals, Steve & Paula Reynolds, David Mirvish, Michael Rubinoff, Alhadeff Productions, Michael Alden & Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Sam Levy, Rodney Rigby, Spencer Ross, Richard Winkler, Yonge Street Theatricals, Sheridan College, Michael & Ellise Coit, Ronald Frankel, Sheri & Les Biller, Richard & Sherry Belkin, Marlene & Gary Cohen, Allan Detsky & Rena Mendelson, Lauren Doll, Barbara H. Freitag, Wendy Gillespie, Laura Little Theatricals, Carl & Jennifer Pasbjerg, Radio Mouse Entertainment, The Shubert Organization, Cynthia Stroum, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Gwen Arment/Molly Morris & Terry McNicholas, Maureen & Joel Benoliel/Marjorie & Ron Danz, Pamela Cooper/Corey Brunish, Demos Bizar/Square 1 Theatrics, Joshua Goodman/Lauren Stevens, Just for Laughs Theatricals/Judith Ann Abrams Productions, Bill & Linda Potter/Rosemary & Kenneth Willman and La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.

Cry It Out, produced by Chris Fields and Rachael Zambias / Echo Theater Company, Echo Theater Company at Atwater Village Theatre.

Sell/Buy/Date, produced by Geffen Playhouse / Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center, Andrew Carlberg, and Foment Productions, Geffen Playhouse / Los Angeles LGBT Center.

MCCULLOH REVIVAL

Cabaret, produced by Michael Matthews, Michael O’Hara, Jay Marcus, Mark Giberson, Alan Wethern, David Tran, Parnell Damone Marcano, Constance Jewell Lopez, Celebration Theatre.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, A Noise Within.

The Little Foxes, Antaeus Theatre Company.

LEAD PERFORMANCE

MaameYaa Boafo, School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play, Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas Theatre.

Tom Hanks, Henry IV, The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles.

Kasey Mahaffy, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, A Noise Within.

Alex Nee, Cabaret, Celebration Theatre.

Conrad Ricamora, Soft Power, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.

FEATURED PERFORMANCE

Rob Nagle, The Little Foxes, Antaeus Theatre Company.

Daisuke Tsuji, Cambodian Rock Band, South Coast Repertory.

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE

Come From Away, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.

The Little Foxes, Antaeus Theatre Company.

SOLO PERFORMANCE

Sarah Jones, Sell/Buy/Date, Geffen Playhouse / Los Angeles LGBT Center.

WRITING

Sarah Jones, Sell/Buy/Date, Geffen Playhouse / Los Angeles LGBT Center.

Molly Smith Metzler, Cry It Out, Echo Theater Company.

WRITING ADAPTATION

Patrick Marber, Three Days in the Country, Antaeus Theatre Company.

MUSICAL SCORE

Irene Sankoff and David Hein, Come From Away, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.

MUSICAL DIRECTION

Ian Eisendrath, Come From Away, Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.

Anthony Zediker, Cabaret, Celebration Theatre.

CHOREOGRAPHY 

Janet Roston, Cabaret, Celebration Theatre.

DIRECTION

Jennifer Chang, Vietgone, East West Players.

Geoff Elliott, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, A Noise Within.

SET DESIGN

Stephen Gifford, Cabaret, Celebration Theatre.

John Iacovelli, The Little Foxes, Antaeus Theatre Company.

LIGHTING DESIGN

Matthew Brian Denman, Cabaret, Celebration Theatre.

Andrew Schmedake, Native Son, Antaeus Theatre Company.

COSTUME DESIGN

Allison Dillard, BLISS (or Emily Post is Dead!), Moving Arts at Atwater Village Theatre.

Allison Dillard, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Celebration Theatre.

SOUND DESIGN

Jeff Gardner, Native Son, Antaeus Theatre Company.

Joshua D. Reid, A Christmas Carol, Geffen Playhouse.

CGI/PROJECTION

Kaitlyn Pietras and Jason H. Thompson, Vietgone, East West Players.

SPECIALTY

Thomas Isao Morinaka and Aaron Aoki for Fight Choreography, Vietgone, East West Players.

Jim Steinmeyer for Illusions, Stagecraft, and Magic Carpet, Aladdin, Hollywood Pantages Theatre.

SPECIAL AWARDS

The Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater was awarded to Sacred Fools Theater Company.

The Polly Warfield Award for an excellent season in a small to midsize theater was awarded to Echo Theater Company.

The Ted Schmitt Award for the world premiere of an outstanding new play was awarded to Lauren Yee for Cambodian Rock Band, originally produced by South Coast Repertory.

The Kinetic Lighting Award for distinguished achievement in theatrical design was awarded to sound designer Robert Oriol.

The Joel Hirschhorn Award for distinguished achievement in musical theatre was awarded to La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment.

The Milton Katselas Award for distinguished achievement in direction was awarded to Cameron Watson.

The Gordon Davidson Award for distinguished contribution to the Los Angeles theatrical community was awarded to Native Voices at the Autry.

The Theater Angel Award for distinguished service to Los Angeles theater was awarded to Yvonne Bell.

 

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